STATE OF TAMIL NADU REP BY INSPECTOR OF POLICE vs MANJULA — 328/2025

Case Summary: STC 328/2025 Court Decision: The accused Manjula was acquitted and discharged under Section 271(1) BNSS from charges under Section 4(1) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Erection of Flags and Banners on Roads Act (TNOPPD Act). Key Reasoning: The court found that while the prosecution presented two police witnesses (both police officials) who testified that a DMK party flag was erected without authorization in a public place on 30.03.2021, the prosecution failed to establish the case beyond reasonable doubt. The court noted critical evidentiary gaps: no independent civilian witnesses were produced, no physical evidence (photograph or site map) was submitted, and the flag itself was not presented in court. Relying solely on official witnesses who had direct stakes in the case created reasonable doubt about the accused's culpability. The court applied the principle that when doubt exists, it must benefit the accused. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.